2.0 be or not 2.0 be. That is the Question.

(actual screenshot of last night's ah-ha moment)

Needed to unwind last night. Everyone asleep. Me—still feeling a bit whacked. So, what better way to unwind than with my laptop?

I got a few Twitters from @spencesmith (his Twitter) as we joked about how old we are getting (although, now that I think about it, I think it was more about how old “I” am getting). Talked about The Tubes, Wings, 8-Tracks, cassettes, the “introduction” of the debit card . . .

It reminded me that earlier on in the same day my daughter asked me if I was alive before DVD’s.

Then it hit me in the face—just how much my world has changed in the last few years. The revelation came to me as I stared at my laptop and looked at the multiple windows and frames that were up and running.

iTunes playing the soundtrack from Once.
Twitteriffic open
Email open
Word open
My blog open
Watching ragamuffinsoul play ping-pong live on Mogulus
Chatting with everyone who was watching ragamuffinsoul vid
iChat open

This is how I unwind. Loving every minute of it.

Some mock me. Some don’t understand.

What’s not to understand?!?!

I can play my iTunes library straight for 950 days straight—that’s 24/7—and not hear the same song twice. I can talk into my cell phone and have it turn my message into text that immediately posts on the web for hundreds of my friends and thousands of others. I can watch my friend in ATL play a game on live streaming video while writing a post for my blog and chatting with my friend in Nash-Vegas. Duh.

Most opponents to this tech-saturated life say things like,

• “That stuff is supposed to make life easier and I just see people spending more time.”

• “Technology is hard to learn and I have done just fine without it!”

• “If you really want to simplify your life throw that computer away!”

You know what? They are right.

My life is not “easier.” My life is not “simplified.” Technology is “hard to learn” sometimes.

We need to stop talking in terms of web technology “simplifying” our lives and stop defending that stance. Sometimes, it just doesn’t. We need to use a new vocabulary when talking about what web technology can do for us and stop apologizing.

1. What technology (2.0, apps, digital, etc.) does for me : : :
2. Puts me in touch with people I rarely have a chance to talk to
3. Introduces me to new ideas
4. Stretches my creativity
5. Helps me learn processes that help me in multiple venues
6. Keeps me sharp and talking the current language of our culture
7. Helps me communicate what I want to say
8. Makes me more accessible
9. Makes my friends more accessible
10. Helps me promote business
11. Invites others into a conversation with me I couldn’t have otherwise
12. Helps me network
13. Helps me meet new friends
14. Helps me share about Jesus and what He has done for me
15. Promotes collaboration
16. Introduces me to new things fast!
17. Helps me learn what people are saying about the church and me
18. I can speak my mind before others spread what they “think” I said
19. Get my news fast!
20. Helps me not lose touch with my kids
21. Share and spark ideas in real time
22. Emergency alerts through a variety of vehicles
23. Conference with people when they are inaccessible
24. Exchange important data stat!
25. Warn people of impending robot domination (this one is just to make sure you are paying attention)
    

This list was off the top of my head at breakneck speed (you should see how fast I typed them!). I’m sure the list isn’t complete.

Bottom line : : : If an easier life is what you want then let life pass you by, clean your VCR and go buy a roll of stamps. Then again, if you are reading this that last sentence probably doesn’t apply to you.

Don’t get into a battle with anyone over things “not getting easier.” It is the wrong battlefield and a losing battle.

Life is not getting any easier.

For those who choose to embrace this new life2.0 however : : : it is exciting, friends are closer than ever, new friends are waiting to be met, new businesses are waiting to be dreamed and promoted, brilliance is a Google search away, and the world is indeed very, very, small.

By the way, I talked with (2-way conversation) over 50 people while writing this post.

Posts that Don't Suck

Lore Sjöberg once commented on Wired.com, “Creating your own blog is about as easy as creating your own urine, and you're about as likely to find someone else interested in it.” While that may be true, keeping someone interested in your blog long-term outside of people who go to your church and/or share your last name is a bit more difficult.

You can have the slickest looking blog in town but if the posts suck, well . . .

Not all posts are created equal.

I have made a list of the things I believe are essential for good blog posts. In order to stay creative, hold attention, garner an audience, and ensure longevity there are a few unwritten rules every blogger should know. Ummm, now they are written I guess.

This is my personal opinion and I am sure I have broken my own rules a few times but, nevertheless here are the observations I have made as I grow as a blogger and continue to read countless blogs.

1. An interesting post title is essential. Draw us in. You don’t have to be funny or witty (although that helps) but you do need to surface a need to know. Titles like “what I did today” do not make we want to read any further than the title.

2. Forget what you learned about paragraphs. This is not English Lit—it is the web. It is still “written language” and it does follow some of the same rules but it is always better to write a post as close to the way you speak. Use short sentences. Incomplete sentences. Break your post up by “ideas” even if this means you have “floating” ideas. Space is good.

3. As often as possible, use links. We want to know where you got your info. We want to check out the things you did that led you to write. Plus, links often lead to other ideas and some of us like to go down the rabbit hole.

4. If everyone has already posted about it, don’t post about it. Unless you have something really interesting to say. A twist. Some humor. A different side of the story. Otherwise, don’t be a copycat.

5. Mention other bloggers in your post and make sure you link to them. People tend to talk more about your blog if you are talking about them in your posts. However, few things are more frustrating than reading about someone without that someone being linked.

6. Speak your mind. We want to know what you are thinking. However, don’t be offensive just because you can. Remember the many you represent. But, don’t be afraid to say what you think either.

7. Talk about your personal life but not too much. Sure, we want to know what makes you tick but inert ideas about the mundane don’t make us want to come back to your blog. If you can talk about your personal life but frame it in a larger story it is helpful. Too many blog posts about nothing is danger Will Robinson.

8. Use images. Photos. Art. Etc. We like stories with pictures. Pictures also help your overall blog by making it visually interesting and constantly changing.

9. Be original. Develop your own style. Reframe stories in your own vernacular. It’s easy to tell when someone has cut and pasted or stolen and idea form elsewhere when their post doesn’t sound anything like them.

10. Don’t talk to a small audience. Mentioning your friends by nickname and using insider jargon is annoying. Let us in on the joke. Fill us in. Your post is on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Too many posts written for “you and your homies” is a big turn off. Tune out.

11. Create an identity. Sure, you can blog about whatever you like—it is YOUR blog. But, it is fun to know we can go to your blog because “you are the guy who always . . . “ or “you are the girl who often . . .” Hosting a regular weekly or monthly feature can be helpful.

12. Break from the routine every once in awhile. If your blog posts are predominately about “church stuff” or “politics” or “justice and mercy” break it up with something to hold our attention and give us a breather.

13. Don’t be a downer. Woe is me blog posts get old real fast. We all have seasons. Just don’t stay there long. Say what you have to say and move on. Don’t whine.

14. Don’t give us old news. Sometimes it may be tempting to post “old news” because you can’t think of anything else to say and you don’t want to go a day without a post. Resist. Resist.

15. Don’t sell the sizzle without giving us the steak. In other words, don’t talk about the “great meeting” you had where you solved the world’s problems or “the giant revelation” you had or the “whole bunch of cool places you visited” without filling in the details. What did the meeting solve? What was your revelation and how will it help me? Where are the places?—I may want go there.

16. Grab attention. An apt quotation, a startling statement, a short story, a joke, a cultural reference, a statistic, or a controversial headline are all good examples of something you may want to include in the intro to your post. Posts that start boring usually end boring.

17. Surprise us with a "new find" every once in a while. A teacher once said he'd "rather his students drink from running water than a stagnant pool." In order to be a creative post-er you are going to have to invest some time in research, in honing your surfing skills, in knowing where to go to get the info your readers want.

18. Don't re-post. Re-posting is kinda like re-gifting. Except, re-gifting is acceptable and re-posting is shady. Re-posting is when someone posts what someone else has already posted without giving them credit. Use blockquotes when quoting more than 2 or three sentences from another source. Reprinting entire articles make your readers lose respect for you and/or confidence in you as a blogger they want to follow.

19. Break up the text. Learn to use italics and bold and ALL CAPS where appropriate (Note: ALL CAPS sometimes looks like yelling so use wisely). These devices help the reader stay on track and move them through the text.

20. Use Spell Check. Please. Please. Please. If your blog editor does not have a spell check option, type it in Word first and then copy and paste. An occasional oops is bound to happen but repeat offenders get sidelined. No excuses.

Can you think of anything else?

This post is part of the cultural phenomenon known as Watercooler Wednesday. Check it out! Be part of the in-crowd. Everybody who is cool is doing it. How is that for peer pressure?

Another great community to check out is Creative Chaos where this little diddy is also posted. Go there now!